Nawaz Sharif and MNAs felicitated By Muhammad Farooq Rehmani

Islamabad, June 07:The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Freedom League, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani has felicitated Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as the Prime minister of Pakistan on his record third term, and all other MNAs of the newly elected National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The full text of Muhammad Farooq Rehmani’s memo of congratulations is as follows:-<!–more–>

“Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Prime minister of Pakistan and members of the National Assembly: I congratulate you and all other members of the National Assembly of Pakistan on my behalf and on behalf of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Freedom League, on this auspicious occasion of accepting great national responsibilities and big challenges of national, regional and international dimensions. The Jammu and Kashmir People’s Freedom League, has been offering great sacrifices for the freedom and the right of self-determination of the Kashmiris for over last 40 years in and outside of Jammu and Kashmir.

Today, it’s a defining moment of Pakistan’s history. The country is facing gigantic challenges and problems by monster of: internal and external terrorism and criminality, inflation, price-hike, energy crisis, load-shedding, devaluation, bloody drone attacks and operations, insecure and volatile borders, relations with big powers especially America in the light of dangers to country’s sovereignty, integrity and solidarity. Pakistan’s ship is in unruly storms. To propel it safely out of the current whirlpool and enormities would be a great miracle of the leadership. It’s a sacred duty of the PM Nawaz Sharif with his team of parliamentarians to give a right direction to the ship of democracy and economic development in the coming years.. All this requires strengthening and balancing of the government-opposition relations on good and sound basis.

Last but not least as a Kashmiri I would be failing in my duty if I don’t urge on you taking up of our oldest life and death question with all its caution, concern and wisdom. Kashmir relates to the destiny of 13 million people of Jammu and Kashmir. But, unfortunately so far it has been mishandled, clouding neighborly relations of the two neighbours with doubts and confusions and wasting energies in border skirmishes and wars but only failing to address the wishes of the kashmiris for its final and durable resolution.

First, US invaded Iraq and after 9/11 it along with its NATO allies launched humanity’s devastating and plundering war adventurism against Afganistan and began exploiting Pakistan as a front-line satellite country. Instead of using this occasion for resolving the Kashmir dispute with India, Pakistan preferred to follow an amazing theory of CBMs of commercial and cultural nature with India and that too via LOC. The trade and travel activity across LOC is of restricted and controlled nature and does not fulfill international standards of transparency, etc. India took the cue and immediately fenced the LOC, violating UN resolutions, but surprisingly without facing any objection by Pakistan. All these steps were a strong blow on then resistance movement of Kashmir and the psyche of the kashmiris. Their friends and supporters across the world were forced to draw conclusion that now henceforth trade interests would supersede right of self-determination as both India and Pakistan may have reached an unwritten understanding to leave Kashmir rotting for future generations. India had nothing to lose but gain much. It was obviously to throw Kashmir into oblivion or keep on back burner till it becomes a much forgotten issue of history. Under such odd conditions how the sympathizers of Pakistan and Kashmir cause could keep their hopes alive? One of the major negative developments of this policy and strategy was that India and her tamed leadership in Kashmir for the first time in history became daring and they raised their heads and walked proudly not only in Kashmir but received red carpet welcome in Azad Kashmir by then leadership of AJK and Pakistan.

In this background, I would like to remind the new PM Nawaz Sharif sahib and members of the National Assembly that the dispute of Kashmir is never a dispute of some square miles of land; Kashmiris are not for sale like sheep and goats, which any powerful group may buy or any army can grab and relish for expansionism, or in whatever way they may like. Kashmir dispute is essentially an international question of freedom and self-esteem of a nation. The Almighty Allah after having taught human beings ways of worship gave them all basic rights and freedoms on the planet of Earth. The right to freedom is a universally admitted right of all human beings and nations. UNO has incorporated it in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As per Kashmir, both Pakistan and India have had in their separate as well as in their joint declarations vowed to settle the dispute by granting right of self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Second, in this regard the United Nation’s Security Council adopted a road map for all regions of the state to hold a free, fair and impartial plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. It’s a living promise, documented in as many as 12 resolutions of the Security Council, making a long history of speeches and debates by Pakistan, India and other members of the world body.

But some time later, India in order to deprive Kashmiris of their birth right-the right of self-determination and justify her illegal and forcible occupation of Kashmir, passed ridiculous remarks on UN resolutions, using the floor of parliament for suppressing voice of freedom in Kashmir. India also tried to silence outside voices of support to the plebiscite in Kashmir. India, for long has been avoiding plebiscite in Kashmir, and thus responsible for creating impediments in the way of implementing UN resolutions.

Unfortunately, some quarters in Pakistan of late have been advocating close trade and cultural relations with India at the cost of the right of self-determination of Jammu and Kashmir. Now there are more discourses in media and arguments advanced in favour of Pakistan-India trade CBMs than on the importance of the Kashmir’s right to self-determination. This baffling and ominous situation has encouraged India in Kashmir to further sharpen her teeth of undemocratic and inhuman steps—strangulate basic civil and political freedoms to make future of the kashmiris as a nation, uncertain and insecure.

Under these circumstances, we as Kashmiris believe that the time has come, when the new elected members of the august Assembly should put their heads together to draw the best possible line of action urging the world community with faith and determination and farsightedness that the right to self-determination is the birth right of the Kashmiris and only they have the right to exercise it to determine their destiny. The Parliament of Pakistan should stand by their side whatever conditions be, and play important role towards a just, peaceful and durable resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”